by BJ Hoff
In truth, he supposed he was too exhausted to feel much of anything other than a quiet sense of gratitude that he had friends such as Stephen and Esther Holliday. Although it went against his basic nature to feel altogether comfortable about lying in a bed that wasn’t his own, in a house that was also not his own, admittedly he was too weak to do anything else but accept his current circumstances.
That being the case, he was thankful for these two special people who were doing their best to help him feel at home, right down to allowing his faithful dog and companion to bunk in with him. And he was thankful for Ted Gardiner, who had gone out of his way to take care of him and offer his assistant on an ongoing basis.
There was no denying that he was greatly blessed, so it was only right that he be grateful and not give in to the worry and self-disgust that insisted on weaving in and out of his consciousness. Even so, he recognized the fact that he was now facing days of idleness that might have been avoided if he’d only been more careful, more perceptive about his own human weaknesses and limitations.
He realized that berating himself was futile and would be of absolutely no benefit in his recovery. Nevertheless, it was a difficult stumbling block to avoid.
When he felt the warmth and weight of Sarge’s big paw on his arm, he realized his restlessness must have awakened his loyal pal. Only then did he manage to say a thankful prayer for the undeserved goodness presently surrounding him and finally wind down enough to fall asleep.
THIRTY-ONE
VISITORS
There is no denying that some visitors are more welcome than others.
ANONYMOUS
Addie Rose was searching Miss Gladys’s kitchen when she heard a strange noise that seemed to be coming from the pantry.
She had made it a practice, ever since moving in with the ailing spinster, to get up well ahead of Miss Gladys and prepare a good, nourishing breakfast for the two of them. Because she was running a bit late this morning, she was looking for something simple that she could put together more quickly than usual.
She stopped her search of the cabinet beside the window and turned toward the pantry, to her left. After a moment of silence, she turned back to the cabinet and pulled a bag of oatmeal down from the second shelf.
And then she heard it again. A slight rustling, like the tearing of paper, but a little louder this time. She started for the pantry but then stopped. She wasn’t actually afraid of mice, she reminded herself, having encountered more than one at home on occasion. On the other hand, she wasn’t overeager to meet up with one either.
She waited another second or two before going back to the counter to pick up a dishcloth, thinking she could always toss it over the creature if it darted out at her. She hesitated only a moment before approaching the pantry, pulling aside the curtain that separated the small room from the kitchen. Without warning, she remembered what Daniel had told her about Miss Gladys hearing a “strange sound” the day she fainted, and she tensed, holding her breath.
As she stood there, the rustling continued. She swallowed against a dry throat and pulled a steadying breath before taking another step.
She was met by total silence—until the floor-length drapes covering the shelves suddenly parted. Something crept from behind the drapes, hissed at her, and then ducked between her legs and went scurrying across the kitchen floor.
Addie Rose cried out, but her shock lasted only long enough for her to identify the culprit for what it was: not some menacing, brutal creature to fear, but rather a small and most likely harmless, though uninvited, animal—the likes of which she had grown up often wishing to possess as a pet but was never allowed to keep in the house: a kitten.
“Oh!” The soft exclamation escaped her as the tiny visitor stopped at the kitchen door, which Addie Rose had earlier closed to keep any noise from waking Miss Gladys.
“How in the world did you get in here?” she said, keeping her voice quiet in hopes of not frightening the little intruder, while looking around for some kind of entrance from the outside.
Seeing nothing unusual, she turned her attention back to the furry, gray-and-white spotted feline, who had resorted to charging around the kitchen floor, clearly in search of an escape route. Addie Rose stood unmoving against the wall, watching the obviously frightened kitten and feeling a nudge of pity for its unmistakable panic.
Another few moments of quiet passed in which Addie Rose continued to stand, not moving but murmuring an occasional sound of reassurance. As suddenly as it had begun racing about, the kitten stopped, crouching in the corner across from her, watching her with wary eyes.
“I’m not going to hurt you, little one,” Addie Rose murmured. “But I hope you’ll get over being afraid of me. I’d really like to pick you up and introduce you to Miss Gladys.”
On the heels of that thought, however, she realized that Miss Gladys might not take to the idea of a feline guest making itself at home in her pantry. It might be best, at least for now, to leave things as they were.
With that thought, she made her way slowly to the door from the kitchen into the hall and eased her way out, leaving just a narrow crack so she could spy on the small intruder. The kitten stood unmoving, its back raised high, watching her go.
Outside the door, she watched through the narrow opening. It took only another moment before the little visitor—whom she had already decided to name Sneaky—began to slink soundlessly back to the pantry, where she disappeared behind the curtain.
Addie Rose gave herself a silent reminder to check the storage area a bit later to make certain there were no open containers that could be invaded. At the same time, her instincts hinted that, at least for the time being, it might be best to keep their uninvited occupant a secret.
On the way out to the Hollidays’, Addie Rose could scarcely wait to tell Daniel about the kitten she’d discovered in the pantry. Anxious to see him, she urged her mare, Buttermilk, to pull the buggy at a quicker-than-usual pace.
She enjoyed having even a small bit of news to relay, as it was all too obvious that the days away from his practice were wearing on Daniel. She could tell he was always glad to see her and anxious to hear about her day. And if she were completely honest with herself, she was always eager to spend whatever time she could with him, although she tried not to give too much thought to the reasons why.
She felt a little guilty to be so relieved Dr. Nolan wouldn’t be visiting Daniel with her today, as he usually did. Dr. Nolan was tied up with some home visits, and she’d insisted that there were forms to sign and information to gather from Daniel that required her to visit with him instead of accompanying Dr. Nolan.
She had to admit that it was a really nice thing Dr. Nolan was doing, filling in with the patients while Daniel was laid up. And he seemed to be a good doctor, more than capable, although she had sensed their patients were anxious for Daniel’s return.
But the man had a flirtatious way about him that made her uneasy. On the days when she was going out to the Hollidays’, he always seemed a little too quick to insist on going with her. Not only that, but he was always ready with a compliment or flattering remark in or out of the office. There was no denying that he made her uncomfortable.
Recently, Daniel had insisted that Dr. Nolan make use of his buggy while he was laid up, so now he could come and go as he wished. And he did just that, even inviting Addie Rose to leave her buggy at the office and ride with him to visit Daniel—which she had refused to do.
His freshness would have been unwelcome even if he were single. But Brad Nolan was a married man, and he and his wife were expecting their first baby soon. It was possible he simply meant to be nice to her, but Addie Rose didn’t think so. In truth she avoided him as much as possible, difficult though it was as they worked together in—and sometimes out—of the office.
He wasn’t the only reason she would be exceedingly glad when Daniel got back to work, but he was definitely one of the reasons. At any rate, she had precious little time to spend
alone with Daniel these days, and she had to admit she was looking forward to today.
Daniel had made it his business to be up and sitting in a chair by the window when Addie Rose arrived. He hated this time of forced idleness and was determined to regain his strength as quickly as possible. He knew Esther worried about him, often insisting that he not push himself, but he had learned enough about the patients he’d treated over the years to realize that there was such a thing as not pushing oneself hard enough. Staying idle too long could cause even more problems than not getting enough rest.
Besides, he detested the thought of appearing ill in Addie Rose’s eyes. Even though he continually made an effort to hide his growing attraction to her, he still found himself disgusted by the thought that he might appear weak or less of a man to her.
To complicate his feelings even more, not only did his interest somehow feel like a betrayal of Serena, but he feared just how Addie Rose might react if she became aware of what would most likely be his unwelcome feelings for her. Was it possible that she’d be so put off she might even resign from her position?
He could scarcely bear to even think of the possibility. Not only because he’d come to depend so greatly on her assistance, but because he had come to the point where he couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if she were no longer a part of it.
As he watched her now, her head bent low over the papers she’d brought for his signature and the list of questions she had drawn up for his input, his heart seemed to swell and beat a little faster than normal. It was becoming almost impossible to ignore the feelings her nearness generated these days.
“Daniel?”
He started, realizing she had apparently asked him a question.
“I’m sorry—”
“If this is tiring you—”
“No,” he interrupted her. “I just…I don’t seem to concentrate as well as I need to these days,” he said awkwardly. “What was it?”
“I wondered if you want me to put some of your patients with more serious problems off until you’re back in the office.”
He tried to think. “No, I have Ted Gardiner’s assurance that Brad is a fine doctor. I’m sure he can handle everything without any problem. Unless…” He paused, thinking.
“Yes?”
“Patrick McManus. With his heart condition…well, you never know just what to expect with Patrick. I should talk with Brad about him. But in case of an emergency, of course, Brad would need to see him right away. Next time he’s out here, I’ll fill him in on Patrick.” He paused again. “And little Keely Glynne. Those fragile bones of hers can snap almost anywhere that can’t always be detected right away. At the slightest sign of an ache or pain, she needs to be seen immediately.”
He waited as Addie Rose made another note, appreciating her serious attention to detail almost as much as he enjoyed watching the way one wave of her hair fell over her right eye as she hovered over her pad and pencil.
But when she lifted her head and caught him staring, he quickly cleared his throat and fumbled to avoid his embarrassment. “So what’s Brad like to work with?”
He noticed her hesitation and wondered about it.
“He’s…the patients appear to like him. He’s thorough and well organized. Obviously intelligent.”
Daniel nodded. “That’s my impression of him as well. He’s not keeping you too busy, is he? You’re able to maintain your regular working hours?”
Again, she seemed to hesitate, but her reply wasn’t in any way negative. “Yes, there’s no problem there. He’s…he’s careful about not keeping me late or expecting too much.”
Again Daniel nodded. “Good. I’d want you to tell me otherwise.”
She appeared to study him for a moment, but then she lowered her head and finished whatever she’d been writing
After a moment, she slowly put her pencil down and again looked at him. “So, how are you feeling by now?”
“Like I’m going to crawl out of my skin if I don’t get back to work right away.”
She smiled. “What’s Dr. Gardiner telling you?”
“Last time he stopped by—a few days ago—he told me I need to be patient with myself,” he said with another sigh. “He says I’ve made good progress, and I get the feeling he’s close to giving me the go-ahead to get back to normal. It’s been almost two weeks since all this started, after all. It had better be soon, or Esther is most likely going to send me packing out of sheer desperation. I’m probably driving her wild with my bad moods and pouting.”
Still smiling, she said, “Somehow I find it difficult to imagine you pouting. And it strikes me that Esther is far more interested in making certain you have a complete recovery than in getting you out of the house.”
“Trust me, I’m not the best company when I’m bored. And I am bored.”
“Well, I’m sure Sarge will be just as glad as you when you get home and back to normal.”
At the sound of his name, the Newfoundland lifted his head to look around, and then he let out a snuffle and returned to his nap. But only until Addie Rose stood and began to gather her things. Without hesitation, the big lug then stirred himself and got to his feet, whimpering as he watched her prepare to leave.
Trying to avoid any sense of self-pity, Daniel nevertheless couldn’t deny the fact that he was feeling the same keen sense of loss as his canine companion.
THIRTY-TWO
HURRIED EXITS
I turned my back
On the dream I had shaped,
And on this road before me
My face I turned.
PADRAIC PEARSE
Late Saturday afternoon, Daniel found himself surrounded by visitors and thoroughly enjoying himself, even though the first part of the day hadn’t begun all that well.
Ordinarily, a rare morning visit from Serena would have buoyed him for the rest of the day, especially because her appearance this morning had marked only the third time she’d shown up at the Hollidays’ during his illness. As always, she had looked every bit the fashion plate, dressed in a soft mauve suit and feathered hat, with not a single curl escaping from her carefully sculpted hairdo. Perfection personified. He was glad he’d made the effort to get into some decent day clothes rather than lounging around in worn trousers and shirt as had been his habit all too often since he’d been confined.
It turned out that Serena’s mood wasn’t as perfect as her appearance. Things started out well enough, with her quick but chaste kiss and a concerned inquiry into his progress. But when he mentioned, albeit briefly, his eagerness to get back to work caring for his patients, a faint chill seemed to replace her initial concern and set an edge to her questions.
“You do realize, I hope, that you’re going to need to cut back considerably on your patient load now,” she said in a somewhat authoritative tone of voice.
Caught off guard, Daniel realized, too late, that his reply sounded a bit defensive. “Well, Ted seems optimistic about my making a complete recovery. He hasn’t indicated any particular need for me to reduce my practice.”
“You haven’t been in touch with Dr. Gardiner nearly enough for him to know just how overworked you really are, Daniel. You’ve been doing the work of two men far too long. And this experience you’ve just gone through should be proof enough of that.”
Normally, Daniel would have been pleased at her unusual display of concern, but not today. Perhaps he’d been shut in and bored just long enough that his reaction was more that of impatience to get back to his practice—and irritability because Ted hadn’t as yet agreed that he was ready to resume his work.
“I realize I’ve overdone it, Serena. And I can assure you that I’ll be more careful from now on. But I can tell I’m strong enough now to get back to work, and there’s plenty of work waiting for me to do. As soon as Ted gives me the go-ahead, I’m more than ready to get out of this room and back to my patients.”
She studied him. When she replied, her tone was cool and laced with unmis
takable irritation. “This hasn’t taught you anything, has it?”
Daniel didn’t quite trust himself to answer her. He supposed he should have been pleased that she was worried for him, but somehow her fretting was coming across more as resentment. Where he would have expected her to know him well enough by now to understand his eagerness to get back to normal, instead she seemed bent on making him feel stubborn and even somewhat foolish.
He thought it best that he remain silent.
“I suppose you’re going to go right on trying to maintain a practice for those people in Owenduffy as well as Mount Laurel.”
There it was again. That reference to “those people.” As though the miners and their families were somehow less than worthy of his time and attention.
Or was he simply overreacting out of impatience and irritation? He might have conceded as much except for her next words.
Her tone actually softened as she went on. “Daniel, you can’t keep this up. Can’t you see that what happened to you this time might well be a warning? For goodness’ sake, take care of our own people! Let those miners find another doctor!”
Our own people? His head began to throb.
“It’s not all that easy to find a doctor for an entire mining town, Serena. It’s not as if they can just pick one up at the nearest store.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Now you’re just being obstinate. I worry about you, Daniel. And after this, I’m going to worry even more.”
Her words softened his irritation. “You don’t need to worry about me, Serena. I promise you, I am going to be more careful in the future. And don’t forget—having Addie Rose to help out in the office has been a big help. She’s turned into a wonderful assistant.”
Her look hardened. “I’m sure,” she said, her tone frosty as she stood and began to put her gloves on. “I need to get going. I have some shopping to do for Mother yet today.”